Stolen Moments
by Silver-Raven22
Summary: He isn't sure whether he imagines those three words being whispered back, but a moment later Loki has left his arms, and he feels cold. He watches Loki being led away, the way he doesn't look back once. He watches how Loki doesn't fight. His heart feels as though it has been ripped up, and the tears spill over even faster. But he doesn't sink to the floor, or let a sound escape.


**Set after Loki is captured by the avengers. **

This isn't necessarily slash, but I suppose it could be interpreted that way. Maybe if you squint.

**Disclaimer: **Thor and Loki don't belong to me. They're property of Marvel, and no money is being made.

This has probably been done before, but whatever, I wrote it anyway. Enjoy!

* * *

Thor brings his brother back to Asgard, their home, in chains. It hurts him, as he pictures the ugly stitches that keep Loki's mouth closed, hidden by a metal covering. It hurts, as he remembers that moment when Loki's sleeves slipped up, and his wrists were cut and bloodied by both the metal shackles and the magic surrounding them.

And it hurts most of all, because he knows Loki will be imprisoned until ragnarok, for crimes against the nine realms. And he hates that he hates Loki, even if only a little, for what he's done.

They reach the edge of Asgard, and Thor dismisses the guards with a wave of his hand. They look uncertain, but yield to his glare. He knows he can handle his brother, they should too. Loki watches them go, with those piercing eyes Thor had always admired. Once they were full of emotion, joy, life. Now they're flat and empty.

Thor reaches up and his hand hovers an inch away from the metal binding his jaw. Loki's eyes fill with a slight amount of emotion. Granted, it's hatred, but it's there. For a long moment, the only sound is the rushing of the water beneath them, and Thor's heartbeat, which is so loud he's sure Loki can also feel his weakness.

Then he closes that gap, and gently undoes the metal clasp. The gag falls off, and clatters noisily to the ground, breaking the tense silence. The black stitches are even worse than he remembers; he can see exactly where they've been pulled roughly through his skin. Some blood still drips from the holes around his lips.

"Why have you done all this, brother?" He asks, though he knows Loki can't answer.

He sighs. He'll be isolated forever, in such a short while. And it's not fair, really. Loki is unstable, he can't handle it. Or at least Thor likes to think he can't, to justify his anger at his brother's imprisonment.

"Loki, you must have known it was wrong," his voice is pleading this time, struggling to find a way to be sure that Loki is not really evil.

Loki glares even harder, as though trying to cut Thor with his gaze. It works.

"Brother..."

Loki lets out a muffled, strangled sound from behind closed lips, and a surge of magic leaves him. A second later, the stitches are cut and ripped out. Thor steps back in shock, he'd had no idea Loki was powerful enough to overcome the magic set on the stitches.

"We are not brothers!" Loki spits harshly, the words less articulate than normal due to his wounds.

"Yes we are."

"No. How many times must I say it? How long will you fight the truth?" Thor has the vague sense that Loki is trying to convince himself just as much as him.

"You may have been adopted-"

"I was stolen," Loki interrupts.

Thor falls silent for a moment, processing this.

"You would have died if not."

"Perhaps that would have been better for everyone."

"You cannot really think that way brother, I know it." Thor says, though he doesn't know. All he knows is the way his heart clenches with sadness at the thought of Loki believing something so horrible.

"Stop calling me brother, Thor."

"You are my brother! I will never stop believing it."

Loki tilts his head, calculating, cold.

"Why?"

"It is true. We share a lifetime, I love you."

Loki laughs. But it is not comforting. Rather it is high and cold, a laugh of borderline madness. Thor tries to step towards him, but Loki quickly moves away, his laugh cut off and the emptiness back in place in his eyes. Thor stops, stung.

"Please, the guards will be back soon. Will you not talk rationally with me for the short while that we have?"

"Is that not what we have been doing?" Loki studies him for a moment, until a smirk appears on his face, "I understand now brother. I do not agree with you, and therefore what I say cannot be rational. Is that not it?"

Thor thinks hard for a response to this. He goes back over Loki's words, and stops short, eyes wide.

"You called me brother."

Loki pulls back, fear flicking through his eyes for an instant but is quickly replaced with an emotionless mask.

"I am just tired of arguing with you over it."

Thor knows it's not true, but he does not answer. Instead he reaches forward slowly and undoes the shackles around Loki's wrists. Loki quickly pulls away, and Thor can tell he is trying to hide a flinch of pain.

"What are you doing?"

"You deserve what little freedom I can give you."

"Do you not hate me?"

"I do."

Loki closes his eyes, and looks as though he accepts it. As though he's not surprised. It hurts Thor, but he can't bring himself to lie to his brother.

"Loki, you must understand. Hate is not the opposite of love. Any small amount of hate I feel for you is overshadowed by it."

Loki looks at him, and a single tear falls from one eye. Thor steps towards him again, but once again Loki steps back.

"Please," Thor begs, though he doesn't know what he is begging for.

Loki tenses at the vulnerability in his tone, looking scared by it, rather than it giving him an advantage like Thor would have thought. For a moment he looks like he wishes to escape. Even so, Thor can't regret taking off his gag and shackles.

"Don't."

"What?" Loki demands viciously.

"It will only be worse if you try to run. They will kill you, rather than imprison you."

"You are not going to defend your king? Won't you tell me that he would never let a son of his be executed?"

Thor clenches his teeth. He can't defend Odin that way, because he would. If he felt that Asgard would shun him if he did not sentence Loki to death, he would do so. He would let the favour of his people go for nothing.

"I thought not. He has not even made you king yet, has he?"

"I requested he not do so."

Loki actually looks surprised. This is obviously not what he was expecting. Thor almost smiles.

"Why?"

"So that I might protect midgard. And search for you."

Loki smiles, "do not fool yourself, Thor. You care for the mortals more than you ever have for me."

"That is not true."

"Is it not?"

"You know it is not," Thor says quietly. But he doesn't know. And it hurts him that Loki has no idea how much he cares.

This time when he steps forward Loki does not pull away. Perhaps he knows Thor will not stop trying. He puts one hand on Loki's shoulder, one on the side of his neck, a thumb carefully caressing his jaw line. Loki gives no response to this, acting as though he can't feel Thor's touch.

Thor feels it, all the guilt, the pain. The knowledge that he is part of the reason that Loki is the way he is. Part of what drove him to this.

"I am so sorry, brother. Forgive me."

"I forgave you a long time ago."

Those words cut Thor more than a refusal ever could. Because if Loki has forgiven him, does not blame him, that only leaves Loki himself. And it hurts him so much to know how Loki must hate himself. It takes Loki reaching up, hesitantly, to wipe the wetness on his face for him to realise he is crying.

Then Loki's face hardens again, and he pushes Thor away.

"Stop this weakness, mighty Thor." he hisses, voice mocking.

He seems even more angry than before, and maybe it's because it hides the pain he'd felt when Thor cried. His magic slips out of his control a little in his rage, and he begins to show his Frost Giant self. Blue seeps through, starting at his fingertips and working upwards until it reaches his face and his pale eyes become red. The same colour as the blood around his lips.

Thor can't stop the wonder in his eyes, or his hand reaching to touch his brother's arm, carefully tracing the patterns. Loki recoils, his scarlet eyes burning, but Thor follows.

"So this is your true form..."

"This is the face of a monster."

"No, Loki. You are beautiful."

Loki's skin starts to turn back where Thor touches it, and he watches it in disgust.

"How can you think so?"

"I love you."

Loki's face bears the appearance of an Asgardian again now, but still beautiful, even with wounds marring his features. Thor smiles at him, sadly. Loki stares back, confusion and hatred warring in his eyes.

"How can you love me, though we are not brothers?"

For once, Thor does not argue that they are brothers. He knows it will mean nothing to Loki. Instead he reaches forward and uses his greater strength to pull Loki into an embrace.

"I do not know. But I do, and I always will."

Slowly, Loki's arms come up around him, hugging him back. And Thor thinks that it's possible that Loki loves him in return. He closes his eyes and holds on, wishing desperately that this moment can last forever. But it can't.

Loki pulls back then, and offers his hands. Thor knows he is waiting for him to put the shackles back on, protecting Thor from Asgard finding out how much danger they might have been in. It makes him want to cry, but he holds it in. Reaches down picks up the metal, and replaces it around Loki's wrists.

When the guards find them a few minutes later, they are sitting side by side, in silence, because the metal binding Loki's mouth is back in place, even if the stitches aren't. He helps Loki up slowly, trying not to jostle him so that the shackles won't cut even deeper. He is sure the guards will not be so kind.

Thor puts a hand on Loki's shoulder, and gently but firmly guides him closer. He embraces his brother for the last time, though Loki cannot return the gesture. He feels the tears escape, and watches over Loki's shoulder as the guards turn away, as though to give them a small measure of privacy. He raises his head to look into Loki's eyes and places his hands on either side of his face. He tilts Loki down slightly, and his own eyes close as he presses his lips gently to the top of his brother's head. He feels the softness of Loki's dark hair and tries not to think, because he can't think about how much he wants to take Loki someplace safe and hold him forever.

"I love you, brother."

Thor isn't sure whether he imagines those three words being whispered back, but a moment later Loki has left his arms, and he feels cold. He watches Loki being led away, the way he doesn't look back once. He watches how Loki doesn't once try to fight his way free, knowing any attempt could place Thor in danger. His heart feels as though it has been ripped up, and the tears spill over even faster. But he doesn't sink to the floor, or let a sound escape.

It could be years before he ever sees Loki again, centuries before he can convince Odin that solitary confinement is in no-one's best interest, if ever. He lets all the memories of their shared childhood cloud his mind.

He knows he should have been able to protect his younger brother, but instead Loki protected him in his last free moments. It hurts him, more than anything ever has.

* * *

-Aislinn.


End file.
